


In Extremity

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-21
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-12 13:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/812142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Penelope has an unexpected visitor at her support group one evening. Will she be able to help this lost soul?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Penelope finished setting up the chairs for her support group. The numbers rarely varied, but still she set out an extra chair on the off chance that someone new might join them. Once that task was finished, she set up the snacks for the evening: Oreos, bottled water, and coffee. Sighing a little as she looked around, she took her seat and waited for the others to arrive. The others filed in, taking their seats in the circle and soon everyone was there. Then, she saw her, standing hesitantly on the threshold of the door.

Smiling kindly, Penelope motioned her into the room and then patted the open seat next to her. She was surprised when Chief Strauss nodded and claimed the chair, scooting it a smidgen closer to her. "All right, everyone, welcome. I hope that you had a good week since last we met. Is there anyone that would like to go first tonight?"

Alan nodded and began to tell his story, and from the corner of her eye, she watched Strauss nod in response, biting her lip and sniffling every so often. Unconsciously, she reached over and covered her hand. Strauss took hold of it, squeezing almost painfully at times as the others shared. When their time was over, the others left in pairs or alone as usual, yet still Strauss lingered.

"May I get you anything, Ma'am?" she finally asked, sitting back down next to her.

"No, Ms. Garcia. I just need a moment to collect myself." Penelope felt her heart lurch a little at the forlorn sound in her voice and she wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders, drawing her close. A choked sob tore from her throat and Penelope enclosed her in a tight hug, letting the woman cry on her shoulder.

"Ma'am. Erin, would you like to go talk somewhere?" She kept her voice low, gentle, knowing that soothing tones helped so much in situations like this. While Penelope didn't know the sorrow that ate Erin's (and she couldn't think of her any other way, now) heart, she knew that she had to comfort her somehow.

"I don't want to impose, Pe-Penelope." The hesitant stutter endeared her all the more to Penelope and she shook her head, rubbing Erin's back softly.

"It wouldn't be an imposition, I promise." Pulling away to look at the woman, she wiped away the tears that wetted Erin's cheeks and smiled a little. Erin finally nodded and she felt her smile widen as she hugged the woman once more. "So, I just need to get the snacks cleaned up and then we can head out to the coffee shop down the road. Would you like to help me?"

"Yes." They stood and she led her over to the snack table, handing her the water bottles.

"Those go in the case under the table, please." Erin silently nodded and knelt, arranging the bottles in the case as Penelope handed them to her. "If you want to put the Oreos back in the bag, I need to go dump the coffee out."

Taking the pot over to the sink, she dumped out the contents and washed it out with water. Turning it upside down on the towel provided, she made her way back to Erin and took a deep breath. "Are you ready to go?"

There was a sweet quality to Erin's voice that she had never noticed before and she cocked her head to the side as she smiled. "Yeah, we are. Did you drive here?"

"No, I had Anderson drive me. I've found that I don't like driving anymore."

Penelope wondered what kept her from driving, but didn't want to push her further than she was willing to go. "I'll drive us, then." Erin nodded and they moved in tandem to the door. "I think I'm going to get a large tea tonight. I need to be up early to finish up a couple searches for Sam's team. Did you know that they're in Puerto Rico right now?"

"I thought I heard something about that. It was the first time that they've asked for our help on a case. It must be rather bad if they've done that."

"I hate looking at the pictures they send me." She got in the car and waited for Erin to follow suit. Once she had her belt buckled, Penelope started the car and drove the few blocks to the all night café. "If I could change one thing about my job it would be the pictures."

"There's something worse than pictures," Erin whispered and Penelope felt her heart lurch a little. The sorrow in her voice carved away any lingering resentment she had towards the woman and she pulled into a parking spot, turning off the car.

"Would you feel comfortable talking about it?"

"Maybe, to you. But let's go inside, I didn't realize it would still be this cold in April."

Penelope nodded and they got out. She was surprised when Erin reached out for her hand, but did not begrudge the woman holding onto it as they went inside. "So, what would you like?" she asked as they stepped up to the counter.

"I'll take a large caramel mint mocha hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and sprinkles, please," she told the barista and then motioned with her head to Penelope.

"And I'll take a large chai tea."

"That will be $7.25, please," the barista said and before Penelope could get her wallet out, Erin had whipped out her credit card and handed it over. Taking the number from his hand, Penelope led them over to a secluded booth and sat down, sliding all the way in. Erin copied her motion and leaned her back against the window, staring at Penelope.

"So, what brought you by tonight?"

"The Director wanted me to do AA. He doesn't know about the accident, though, or why I took to drinking. Then I remembered that you do a support group for victims like me, and I told him I already had a place to go, a place that would help me. I'm placing a lot of faith in you, Penelope, to keep my confidences."

"What happens in group, stays in group, I promise." Reaching across the table, she covered Erin's hand with hers and squeezed softly. "Would it make you feel more at ease if I told you my story first?"

"A little, perhaps."

Their drinks came and she thanked the waiter before wrapping her hand around the mug. "So, I was a bit of a wild child. My friends called me Siren, since there wasn't anything I couldn't coax them into doing, even if it got us into trouble. I had already broken curfew earlier in the week, so my parents were not too happy with me. Then, I had the extreme stupidity to break curfew again.

"I didn't make it home until after three in the morning. My parents were gone and there was a message on the phone to call the police. My world ended that night, cut short by a drunk driver. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love where I am now, but I might have gotten there an honest way had I not been so selfish."

"Oh, Penelope, I never knew…" Erin took a sip of her sugary confection and lowered her eyes to look at the table. "I lost my son two years ago this coming May. Gerald was driving him to play practice when some young girl blew through a stop sign at seventy miles an hour. My Samuel never stood a chance, really." Her breathing hitched and she sipped at her drink, trying to stop her tears.

"Erin, you're safe here with me, it's okay to cry for what you lost." Penelope reached over and rubbed the other woman's shoulder.

"Thank you, but not in public." Penelope nodded and Erin took a deep breath. "So, the hospital called me at work. Your team was dealing with the serial killer in California at the time, remember?" She nodded again, and a pained smile flickered across Erin's face. "That was a horrid case. Anyway, the hospital called me down, said that there wasn't much time left for Sam. I can't remember the drive there, or much of anything about that day save the awful beeping of machines and the bandages wrapped around Sam's face. It wasn't him, Penelope, it was just some awful shell.

"The doctor had to sedate me, and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him. I failed as a mother, Penelope, by not telling him how much I loved him before he went to Heaven." A single tear escaped her eye and Penelope watched it roll down her cheek to splash on the table. "It became easy to drink to quiet the demons then. But you see, the demons find ways to speak louder and so I drank more to drown them. And then I started drinking on the job. It was foolish, and reckless, and stupid. But I missed him so much and I failed him so badly…"

A harsh sob tore from her throat and Penelope knew that this mortified her. Moving around to the other side of the booth, she scooted close to Erin, waiting for Erin to make the first move. She did so by leaning against Penelope, resting her head on her shoulder. "You didn't fail him, Erin. He knew how much you love him."

"So, here we are. Me, alone and scared. You, holding all the power."

"Oh honey, please know I won't use this against you. Please trust me." Erin took a long time, but then she nodded hesitantly. "Does Hotch even know about what happened to your son?"

"No. There was no one I could tell. My church family thinks I'm doing fine, since I'm really good at putting up a façade."

"Now that I know that, Erin, I am going to call you on it in group, okay?" Once more she nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Gerald and I separated last May, about that same time I tried rehab for the first time. The judge is going to sign the divorce papers in three weeks."

It seemed as if the woman had become a font of honesty once the lid had been removed. "Oh, and do you have anywhere to go? I don't want you to be alone tonight, after everything you shared. Being vulnerable can hurt a lot and makes us do rash things sometimes."

"I'll be fine on my own."

"No, you won't be. I speak from experience. Come home with me. I'm rather lonely at the moment, anyway, since Kevin and I broke up." She smiled a little at Erin, waiting for her to respond.

"I don't want to impose, Penelope."

"It would be no imposition, Erin." Finally, the other woman nodded and they finished their drinks in silence, occasional sniffles coming from Erin. As soon as Penelope was finished with her tea, she sat back and looked at Erin. The woman looked so broken and Penelope felt her heart soften all the more. "Is there anything we can get before I head to my apartment? Ice cream, chips, anything?"

"No. Opening your home to me is more than enough." Penelope nodded and they stood, going to the door. Once in the car, she drove quickly home, waiting for Erin to say something more. Nothing was forthcoming and she parked her car with a sigh. Getting out, she waited on the stoop for Erin to join her. "May I hold your hand once more? I've found that touch eases the cravings."

"All you had to do was ask," Penelope said kindly, reaching out for her. Erin clasped her hand tightly and they went inside. "I'm up on the third floor. Would you like to take the stairs or the elevator?"

"The elevator, please. My knees are a little weak at the moment." She led Erin over to the elevator and pressed the button. As they waited, Erin moved a little closer to Penelope, seeming to need the contact. "I just wish there was some hope in my life," she murmured.

The doors opened and Penelope guided her inside, pressing the three button. "Erin Strauss, do not talk like that. There is always some small point of hope in all our lives. Sometimes it just takes a little digging to find it. Do not give up so easily."

"I'll try, Penelope."

"And I'll stick by your side, okay? Do you have a sponsor, or someone you can confide in?" Erin shook her head. "That means you've been going it alone for too long." The elevator stopped on her floor and they got out. Thankfully, her apartment was just down the hall and she opened the door for them. "That's it, let me see your phone."

"Why?"

"Because I am going to program my number in there. Do you have any speed-dial contacts?" Erin shook her head. "Good, because I'm going to be number one there. And anytime you feel like you're going to shatter, or take a drink, or just need someone to listen, you are going to call me and let me know what you're going through."

"Why?" The simple question threw Penelope and she led Erin over to the sofa, pulling her down to sit next to her.

"Because you need someone to listen to you. You need a friend who won't judge you or look down on you. I can bet you have that in your life already, which is why you have to put on a façade at church." Penelope held out her hand and Erin placed her phone on her palm. "Just give me a moment."

She smiled as she saw the lockscreen wallpaper, which was a picture of Erin and her girls. Calling up the contacts app, she quickly added her information, including her cell number, office number, home number, and both of her email addresses. Then she added her cell number to Erin's favorites list. "Thank you."

"Any time, Erin. It's what friends do for each other."

"Well, then you might as well add me to your contact list."

Penelope smiled widely, knowing that this odd friendship was going to be two-sided. Taking out her own phone, she added all of Erin's information, getting her to reveal her home number, personal email, and birthday. "I'm glad you trust me so much."

"I have to trust someone, Penelope. I have never heard a bad thing said about your ability to keep confidences. I hope that this proves true in the end."

"It will, I promise." Penelope set their phones on the coffee table and then slipped her feet out of her heels. "Would you like a glass of water or anything?"

"Water does sound nice. Where is your bathroom?"

"It's the closed door in my bedroom. Sorry about the mess, I wasn't exactly planning on company this evening."

Erin nodded and stood, stepping out of her shoes before she made her way to the bathroom. When she was gone, Penelope pulled out the water pitcher from the fridge and poured two glasses before refilling it. Setting them on the coffee table, she went into the bedroom and got out two nightgowns, setting them on the bed. Then she pulled out a blanket and pillow for her stay on the sofa.

"Penelope?" The bathroom door slid open a crack and she perked up a little. "Do you have any…"

"They're in the cupboard under the sink, hun. And here, put on this nightgown. We're going to watch a movie before heading off to sleep. You need to laugh a little tonight."

"Thank you."

Penelope smiled and she pulled off her clothes, hanging up her dress before taking off her bra and then tugging the nightie over her head. Going out to the living room, she queued up History of the World: Part I on Netflix and sat down, waiting for Erin.

"Is everything okay?" she asked when Erin sat next to her, curling her legs up under her.

"Besides embarrassing myself twice today? Everything's fine."

"My period always starts at the most inconvenient time, too. Now, when the movie is over, I'm going to take the sofa, and you can have the bed for the night. No arguing."

Erin laughed a little. "You're worse than my mother was," she said softly. "There was no arguing with her, either."

"I see." Penelope started the movie and they focused on the absurdity on screen. At some point, Erin leaned over and rested against Penelope, her breathing evening out until it came soft and steady. Once the movie was over, Penelope gently shook her awake. "Hun, you can't sleep here, the sofa isn't big enough."

"Okay." Without protest, she let Penelope lead her over to the bed and crawled under the covers. "Stay with me until I fall asleep again?"

There was something so tender about Erin's voice and she nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. Gently, she smoothed Erin's hair, not knowing how else to soothe or comfort her. It only took a few moments and she was sleeping once more and Penelope smiled. Somehow, she knew this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

Penelope was hardly surprised when she smelled the by now familiar scent of Erin's perfume. "You're early, Erin."

"It was a rough day. I've had a hard time sleeping since the wedding. I guess I fell asleep at my desk and Helen had to wake me from my nightmare. I cut myself." She held up her hand and Penelope saw the wide bandage that swathed it. Looking up, she saw tears pool in Erin's eyes.

"Come here." She opened her arms and her friend willingly stepped into them, resting her head on her shoulder. "Why didn't you call me? Or Rossi? We would have been at your side in a heartbeat."

"You've all been through the same trauma, too. I didn't want to be a burden."

"You are not a burden, Erin. I was there, I saw how much the bank incident bothered you."

Erin stepped back and nodded. "I was craving quite badly by the end of the day. Would you mind if I spoke first tonight? I need to, and if I don't go right away, I might chicken out."

It was the first time she had expressed wanting to speak in group, and Penelope smiled kindly. "All right, you're first up tonight." She grabbed the first chair off the rack and watched as Erin followed suit, helping her set up the room. "What day are you on?"

"168. The bank incident very nearly reset that clock."

"And we would all have understood that."

"Well, that's nice to hear, but I would never have forgiven myself for a slip. I owe it to my son to stay on the straight and narrow." She sighed. "What's our snack this week? More Oreos?"

"Yup. If you have a problem with that, make something."

"That almost sounds like a challenge."

"A lemon poppy seed muffin challenge, Erin." She grinned as Erin shook her head, setting out the water pitchers and cookie tray, then beginning to brew a pot of coffee. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?" she asked as she took a seat next to Penelope.

"For showing me that love is possible after complete and utter heartbreak. I know I'm the one who turned down Kevin's proposal, but I assumed we'd just take a break and try to work past it. I thought, if he really loved me, that he would want to be with me, no matter what. Then he was at the convention with Gina, and he took her to JJ's wedding. If he moved on that quickly, did he ever really love me?"

"I don't know him well enough to tell you that, Penny. But you loved him deeply. I can see that on your face."

"Just like I can see how deeply you love Rossi on yours." She heard Erin gasp, and looked over at her friend. "You may think you have a poker face, but I've seen behind your mask a number of times, now."

"The inquiry into Foyet's death?"

"Uh huh. You blinked like I do when I'm trying not to cry." The first of their group came in, talking and laughing as they poured water for themselves. Erin used the opportunity to pull out her phone. Penelope knew her well enough by now to know she was regrouping, gathering her emotional strength for the meeting ahead.

As she stood to mingle, Erin reached out and grabbed ahold of her hand. "Thank you." She nodded and went over to the snack table, taking a glass of water and a few cookies. She murmured greetings to her friends as she moved around the room, finally coming back to Erin and taking a seat once more.

Once everyone was seated, she cleared her throat. "Good evening, everyone. I hope your week has gone well. Normally, I would open this time up for others to speak, but Erin has volunteered to begin this evening. Erin?"

She nodded and then took a deep breath. "So, I think everyone saw the news this last weekend." The others nodded, sympathetic looks on their faces. "Well, let me tell you, being in the middle of that chaos was Hell. And all I could think of was my own son as we watched each hostage being shot. Those people all had parents, siblings, children, who would need to be informed. Like I was informed. And I couldn't even turn to Dave, since there were news cameras everywhere."

She took another deep breath and Alan smiled softly at her. "The wonders of our media. Instant coverage without thought to those living it in real time."

Erin nodded. "Exactly. I had to get out of there, only there was nowhere to escape to. Everyone was looking to me to be the leader, even the Director, and I was terrified. When they pulled that child to the phone, all I could think about was my son. I flinched at the worst possible moment." She broke down into harsh sobs and Penelope wrapped an arm around her waist.

Alan got up, handing her the box of tissues and Erin took a few, swiping at her eyes. Cassandra chose that moment to speak up as well. "Any one of us would have flinched long before that moment, Erin. All of you were so strong, especially those who had to face down the bad guys in their home."

Erin nodded once more and slipped her hand off her lap. Penelope clasped it, knowing she needed the comfort of contact. "After that fiasco, I was outed to the others by Aaron asking me, well inviting me, to the wedding. I felt so vulnerable and exposed and while I agreed, I felt like running away. After I left them, I wandered around outside. Dave found me standing in front of a liquor store, just staring."

The murmur of quiet understanding seemed to make her cry harder and Penelope looked around the room. Madison caught her eye and she nodded. The other woman began speaking and she scooted her chair closer to Erin. The hour flew by, and Alan and Cassandra helped clean everything up while she sat with Erin.

"You didn't tell me how close you were to relapsing, honey."

"I didn't want you to see how weak I was. How weak I am. If I show you how truly weak I am, you wouldn't respect me."

Penelope reached up and cupped Erin's cheek, bringing her face up to look at her. "This is so cliché, Erin, but your weakness is strength. Did you go into that liquor store?"

"No."

"You've made it 168 days without alcohol, despite your cravings. Does that sound like a weak person?"

"No. But you don't…"

"You're right, I don't know your struggle or your hidden heart. But what I've seen of you makes me really like you. There lurks a deeply sweet woman inside you." They stood and waved goodbye to the others as Penelope locked up the room. "So, do you want to head out for coffee or back to my place?"

"Your place, I guess." Erin's voice was small and Penelope knew she was struggling with something. And then she held her hand out to her. Penelope clasped it softly as they walked out to her car. "I'll just follow you home. Anderson's waiting over there."

Penelope nodded and let go of her, watching her climb into the passenger seat of the dark blue sedan. Once Erin was safely ensconced in the car, she got in Esther and started her up, pulling out into the twilight of the evening. On the drive home, she thought about how she could convince Erin to open up to her a little more.

While she parked in her spot, Anderson idled in front of her building, letting Erin out. Before Penelope could get out of her car, Erin was at her side, trembling despite the warm night. "Let's get you inside." She nodded and followed Penelope up to her door, hanging a step back. "Are you okay?" she asked tenderly as she unlocked the door.

"No." The soft admission stunned her and she reached out for Erin's hand, not expecting her to clasp it so tightly. She led the woman over to her sofa and they sat heavily. "I don't know what's wrong, Penelope. My heart aches so badly at the moment. What's wrong with me?"

Penelope gently tugged her head down onto her shoulder. "I don't know, Sugar, since you haven't let me in all that far. You listen well at our meetings, and we manage to talk about nothing when we go out to lunch. You remain almost a complete mystery to me."

"I've always been good at that. If you don't let people in, they can't hurt you. I learned that within two months of being promoted. I had become close friends with another woman in the BSU, especially since it was just us two at the time. When the Section Chief retired, we were both in line for that job. And I got it. She told everyone that it was because I had slept with our former boss, and they believed her. It took a long time to work past that nasty rumor."

"Oh, Erin." Penelope rubbed her arm gently, not coming up with any words to tell her that would fix that wound to her heart. "I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"Yet it still has power to hurt you. It would hurt me, too." Erin sighed lightly as she shrugged. "What was her name?"

"Alex."

Penelope frowned a little, the name sounding familiar to her for some reason. "Well, put her from your mind tonight, because we are going to have ice cream and fall asleep in front of the television. And tomorrow we'll wake up late and enjoy our day off."

"I don't have tomorrow off."

"Now you do. Because you need to take a personal day. Trust me." Penelope smiled as she reached out and caressed Erin's shoulder. "All right?" It took a while for Erin to nod, but finally, she did, and Penelope smiled. "So, I'm going to grab us pajamas, and then you can change while I find us something to watch. Just, leave your heart in my hands tonight, I have a soft touch, and will protect it until you can be with Rossi again."


	3. Chapter 3

Penelope groaned a little bit as she was woken from a deep sleep by her phone ringing incessantly in her ear. Reaching out her arm, she grabbed it off the nightstand and answered before looking at the display. "Hello?" she mumbled out as she stay up, pushing her mask off her face. "Who is this?"

"I'm sorry to be calling so early, Penelope, but I needed someone to talk to. Would you mind coming over? Please?"

There was a real yearning in the woman's voice, and Penelope found that she couldn't be angry with her, even though it was at the buttcrack of dawn. "I'll be there in about thirty minutes. But be warned, I'm not changing into clothes. Today is my day off, and I am not up to getting dressed so early."

"That's fine. The front door will be unlocked for you, just come on in."

"All right, I'll get there as soon as I can." They hung up and Penelope pulled her butt out of bed, pulling a robe over her nightclothes and stuffing her feet into sandals. She put her phone in the pocket of the robe and went to step out of the door, only to remember that she needed her keys to get over to Erin's.

Shaking her head, she jogged over to the peg where she always put her keys and plucked the ring off before heading out once more. Waving to her neighbor, she trudged down the stairs, unable to keep from yawning the entire time. Somehow, she made it out to her car and started it up, managing to direct herself over to Erin's home with little trouble.

True to her word, the front door was unlocked, and Penelope made certain to relock the door behind her, not wanting to invite danger in on them. "Erin?" she called out, slipping off her sandals and hanging the robe on the coat tree.

There was no answer, and Penelope wondered if the woman had fallen back asleep in the short time it had taken her to drive there. It was a little uncomfortable, making her way through Erin's home in order to find her, but she wanted to see where she was. Not finding her in the living room, she sighed and went over to the staircase and began to climb.

Instinct told her that the first door on the left was Erin's bedroom, and she put her hand on the knob, hesitating to turn it. And then, she heard faintly, through the wood of the door, the sound of Erin sobbing, and her heart broke a little. Opening the door, she stepped into the room and looked over at the bed.

Erin was curled up around something in her hands, the sobs shaking her body, and Penelope noticed that she didn't know that she was there yet. Sighing a little, she made her way over to the bed and climbed in, spooning her body around Erin's and resting her arm around her middle. It seemed natural to rest her chin on Erin's shoulder and to let their breaths sync up. "You made it," she finally whispered, and Penelope nodded.

"I did. What are you holding on to so tightly?"

"My phone. I was almost certain that you were going to call me back and say that you weren't coming, that you were too tired to bother with me. But you're here now. I'm sorry that I called you away from home to bother with me. I don't deserve a friend like you."

"Yes, you do, honey." Penelope turned her head slightly so that she could kiss Erin's cheek, wanting to comfort her in the only way she knew how. The woman let out a tiny sigh before snuggling back against Penelope. "So, why are you crying, Erin?"

"I had a really bad nightmare and woke up craving a drink. I even went downstairs and pulled out my last remaining bottle of wine. Before I took that first drink, I called you, hoping that you would come for me. It's still sitting on my kitchen table."

"Then, when we get up, we'll pour it out together. And when we're at group tonight, we'll talk about cravings and how to stave them off." Erin nodded a little as she yawned. "Let's go back to sleep now, we'll be useless to each other if we keep this yawning up."

"Okay." Penelope slid her hand over Erin's, gently tugging her fingers apart before taking the phone and setting it on the nightstand. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Erin." She made herself comfortable, gently pulling Erin back against her as she yawned deeply. "I hope that you didn't set an alarm."

"I turned it off when I woke myself up."

"Good." Penelope nuzzled her cheek against Erin's face before yawning once more. "When we wake up, I'm so making you pancakes."

"Sounds great," Erin murmured as she covered Penelope's hand with her own, tightening her fingers around it before giving herself over to sleep. It took Penelope a little while longer to drift off, as she wanted to make certain that Erin was relaxed in her slumber and unlikely to be awakened by a nightmare once more.

The next thing she knew, she was blinking open her eyes and staring up into the wry smile of one David Rossi. "Kitten, are you moving in on my girlfriend?" he whispered, and she shook her head before snuggling in close to Erin once more.

"We're having a sleepover," she mumbled out before yawning. "And you woke me up too soon. We were going to sleep in."

"You did. It's after eleven, and I took an early lunch to come over and check on her, since she wasn't returning my calls. Did you set her phone on silent or something?"

"Umf, David?" Erin murmured out as she came to wakefulness, stretching out against Penelope's body. "Did I miss something?" she asked as she turned over and snuggled in close to Penelope once more, her cheek coming to rest on the swell of her breasts.

"Oh, about five hours of your day, love. I was really worried about you." The bed dipped under his weight, and Penelope smiled a little as he leaned down to run his fingers through Erin's hair before dipping his lips down to brush against his lover's. "I brought food with me, though. I hope you're in the mood for Monte Cristos!"

Penelope wrinkled her nose a little, having never heard of that particular delicacy before, and Erin laughed. "You ooze skepticism from every bone in your body, Penny." The nickname just rolled off Erin's tongue, and she smiled to know that she had now grown so close to Erin as that. "They are the most delicious, but horrible, sandwiches. Deep fried, coated in powdered sugar, and you dip them in raspberry preserves. My David knows me well," she whispered before finally pushing away from Penelope and curving her body up and around Rossi.

Penelope knew that she was blushing a little as she watched them embrace and kiss deeply. Though she knew that they were an item, it was a whole different ball of wax to see them as actual, sexual, people. "Great, now I've seen our mother and father make out," she muttered as she slid off the bed and made her way over to the door. "Where's your bathroom?"

Erin reached out her left arm and pointed to the right, and Penelope shook her head as she slipped from the room and turned to her right, opening the first door on her right and finding a spacious master bath. After taking care of her needs, Penelope washed her hands and made her way downstairs to the kitchen, finding Rossi and Erin there already.

"Hey, I hope we didn't embarrass you too much, Kitten. We're just accustomed to making up for lost time when we're together." Erin patted the spot next to her, and Penelope sank down onto the stool, smiling at Rossi as he handed her a plate of food.

"No, I'm an adult, and I would much rather see kisses like yours than some of the things that come across my screen every day." She leaned in to sniff at the sandwich, her stomach growling loudly as the mouthwatering scent filled her senses. "I am going to gain ten pounds eating this, aren't I?"

"But it is so worth it, Penny," Erin replied as she picked up one quarter of her sandwich and dipped it into the ramekin of raspberry sauce. Penelope nodded hesitantly as she copied her friend. The moment it hit her mouth she had to fight to keep the pleased groan from escaping her lips. "See, what did I tell you?"

"OMG, Rossi. You are going to have to tell me where to pick up this piece of Heaven."

He chuckled deeply as he nodded. "Erin was the one who turned me on to these sandwiches. I fell in love with them the moment the first bite touched my lips." Penelope nodded as she ate, slowly falling in love with the way that Erin and Rossi interacted together, as if they had been a couple for their entire lives, and she only hoped that she could find a love like that in her life soon.


End file.
